CDC Study Shows Masks Don’t Prevent Getting COVID-19

It's been a raging debate: Do Masks Really Work? You can find supporting information on whatever side of the argument you happen to be on. But a new report by the Centers for Disease, Prevention, and Control, who are considered the experts on all things COVID-19, shows that wearing a mask doesn't prevent the wearer from contracting the coronavirus.

The CDC's report was conducted in July. They took 154 patients (case-patients) who had tested positive for COVID-19 and compared them to a control group of 160 patients in the same health care facility. These 160 were symptomatic but tested negative. The study showed that over 70 percent of the case-patients tested positive for COVID-19 despite claiming always to wear a mask.

You can see the results of the study below or by clicking here.

Another interesting part of this study pointed out that less than 4 percent of the case-patients became sick with the virus even though they said they “never” wore a mask or face covering.

The study did offer five limitations that may or may not have affected the results, including the following: adults in the study were from one of 11 participating health care facilities and might not be representative of the United States population.

Critics of the study will point out that the mask is meant not as protection from getting COVID-19 but to keep people who have the virus from spreading it. However, in the video below, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield tells Congress that masks are better than a vaccine in protecting against the coronavirus.

So, which is it? Is the mask for protecting the person wearing it or really just to keep infected people from spreading COVID? The message appears to be mixed on this.